College instructors are increasingly tasked with creating educational settings that foster not only academic success but also a sense of belonging, participation, and student well-being. Collaborative learning and experiential activities, when combined with strong pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), have the potential to enhance classroom culture and promote psychological safety (Hartmuth et al., 2025). Psychological safety involves students feeling they can contribute, take risks, and express ideas without worrying about being embarrassed or judged. This environment emerges when students feel connected to their peers, respected by teachers, and assured that mistakes are part of learning.<\/p>\n
During a 15-week study in undergraduate education courses at a private southeastern university, I investigated how structured collaborative learning affects students’ perceptions of belonging and psychological safety. The study’s survey and open-ended responses consistently showed that students favored collaborative learning environments, linking them to higher success, confidence, and engagement. Key findings revealed that nearly 75% of students found group collaboration to be the most effective learning context, while nearly half felt least successful when working independently. There was a strong statistical relationship between students’ preference for collaborative learning and their perceptions of effective learning environments.<\/p>\n
All students reported forming connections and friendships in the course, eagerly anticipating class sessions. Qualitative responses highlighted the classroom as a safe space where students felt heard and valued, linking their learning to peer interaction and structured collaboration. Four recurring themes emerged: supportive, inclusive environments; relational and structured experiences; active, collaborative learning; and game-based activities with social breaks. These findings underscore the importance of belonging and psychological safety as intentional instructional choices.<\/p>\n
Pedagogical content knowledge is not just about knowing what to teach; it involves making disciplinary concepts accessible and engaging (Shulman, 1986; Behling et al., 2022). By designing collaborative structures, instructors activate PCK, supporting both cognitive and affective learning. The study found that experiential learning, cooperative structures, and relationship-building activities fostered environments where students took risks, engaged in dialogue, applied knowledge in real-world contexts, and built trust. These experiences improved understanding, motivation, and comfort in discussions, key aspects of psychologically safe classrooms.<\/p>\n
Faculty do not need to completely redesign courses to create psychologically safe spaces. The study suggests practical strategies: intentionally structured collaboration, embedding experiential tasks, building relational routines, using game-based learning, and normalizing risk-taking and mistakes. These strategies help increase student motivation, strengthen peer relationships, enhance confidence in mastery, and support social-emotional development. Psychological safety facilitates deeper learning.<\/p>\n
The study indicates a shift in instructional design, integrating academic rigor with relational pedagogy. Faculty can increase motivation and participation, strengthen classroom community, and enhance confidence by incorporating cooperative learning and experiential strategies. Psychological safety, belonging, and academic achievement are interconnected outcomes of intentional teaching designs. As higher education often focuses on lectures and individual performance, this research suggests that students excel when courses emphasize collaboration, application, and connection.<\/p>\n
Dr. Ana Figueroa, an assistant professor and Co-Coordinator of the Educational Leadership graduate program at the University of Tampa, teaches courses in Educational Leadership and serves as Lead Instructor for Education Foundations and Human Exceptionalities. Her research focuses on continuous improvement, differentiated instruction, progress monitoring, teacher mindset, and effective instructional strategies, advocating for equitable instruction for all learners.<\/p>\n